


The life and death of Phil Coulson

by thattinynerd (beautyinthenight)



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: 3rd person pov, Bullying, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-18
Updated: 2013-05-18
Packaged: 2017-12-12 05:37:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/807895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautyinthenight/pseuds/thattinynerd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The story of Phil Coulson's life, death and the bits in between; and his constant love of Captain America.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The life and death of Phil Coulson

Mr and Mrs Coulson had always been slightly worried about their son, Phil. He’d had a normal birth, normal family: a mum who stayed at home to look after him, a dad who worked in a well-off law firm. They lived in a quaint residential suburb of Columbus, Ohio, in a house with a perfectly kept lawn, a white picket fence and an adorable son. The neighbours all adored the Coulson family: the old lady from across the road always offering tea, the young couple next door but one inviting them to many dinner parties and the family next door always willing to babysit if both parents were busy. It was the picture-perfect life, all 3 family members being beautiful and happy.

Phil was an only child, but he was never really lonely. His mum didn’t work, choosing instead to do housework and dedicate hours to Phil’s games of make-believe. She could craft a rocket ship in 10 minutes flat, she could sew a doll to join Phil on his adventures overnight, and she was skilled with a paint brush. Phil and his mum would prance around the house and garden, battling invisible creatures and (occasionally) daddy when he came home.

Young Phil’s favourite game, by far, was playing superheroes. Specifically playing Captain America, his one true hero. His mum made him a cardboard shield and helmet when he was 5, and he would only be forced out of them to go to formal events or for bedtime. His parents thought it was slightly odd, in their minds children shouldn’t be obsessed with a dead person who pranced around in tights on stage. But Phil had convinced himself that Captain America had been a real superhero, just performing to inspire people to become superheroes too, and therefore the Captain was his idol.

And then Phil started school. And his parents got even more worried then. Phil Coulson didn’t have any friends, preferring to stay at the back of the classroom and sketch pictures of Captain America flying over to the school to ask for his help to fight evil forces. But, of course, he didn’t turn up and Phil had to concentrate on his studies. He became top of the class in all lessons, becoming so skilled in computer skills and mathematics that he was moved up a higher grade by the time he was 8 years old. 

But life wasn’t all easy lessons when he was at school. Phil Coulson was plunged into a world where he was the youngest and the brightest, and therefore was the ideal target for bullies. They’d corner him after school, and he’d return to his ‘perfect family life’ and the house with the white picket fence with blue and purple patterns decorating his stomach and back. But Phil, like his hero, would never run away from the fight. He’d rather the bullies picked on him, rather than on other kids.

When he was 11, his parents sent him to martial arts training to try and toughen their son up. He learned mixed martial arts until he was 15, but it didn’t stop the bullies from targeting him because Phil was always outnumbered and he didn’t want to retaliate.  
Then came the day which changed Phil’s life. They, the bullies, pushed him into a corner one lunchtime, and Phil just snapped. All the years of pent up anger, hurt and frustration came pouring out.

He only stopped fighting back when the police was wrestling him into the back of a police van.

And that was when S.H.I.E.L.D found him, locked in a cell, responsible for serious assault on 3 boys. Tears streamed from his eyes, the reality of his situation dawning on him. He could get locked up for this, lose his perfect family and ruin his parent’s reputation in the neighbourhood. The cold tiles irritated his back as he leant on it watching as the door to his cell was pushed open and in walked a much younger, two eyed Nick Fury. Not that Phil Coulson knew Fury, of course. 

And from there he was granted immunity from his crimes, owing to S.H.I.E.L.D researching his background, his intelligence, his physical ability. They whisked him away to a private lab and grounds in the middle of nowhere, far away from anywhere he’d ever been. Far away from the white picket fence neighbourhood where he’d spent all his days. His parents thought he had been chosen to join a private academy due to his intelligence. The training began and Phil – or recruit Coulson as he was now known – finally began to be in a life which tested him, a life he enjoyed. Within 2 years he was a fully qualified level 2 security agent, the fastest training time ever. 

Every secret agent needs a hobby, of course. And Phil could never give up on his childhood obsession: Captain America. He began to collect memorabilia: uniforms, programs and – the prize of his collection – trading cards. As he worked more missions, as he gained more experience, he moved up the security ranks. And with every new stage he reached more information on his hero was available to him. Soon he learned all there was to know about Captain Steve Rogers, and the more he learned, the more he felt in awe. A man picked to be a hero not because he was intelligent or strong, but because he was good. If he was ever to have kids, Phil was sure he’d make sure they were brought up on those sorts of values. Not that he planned to have kids, he was married to his job and the only girl he ever loved moved away.

And then there was the discovery, and Captain America himself was dug up from the ice. And Phil couldn’t believe it. He wrote to his parents, telling them all about how he’d managed to meet his childhood hero, how he managed to become his friend. When the avengers all joined him on the S.H.I.E.L.D ship, he felt like he finally belonged in a group. Sure, he was already aquainted with Tony, Thor and agents Romanoff and Barton; but with him surrounded by the 6 superheroes he finally felt like he had a new family of friends.

He wasn’t scared when he died. He didn’t mourn the fact that his life was over, he’d managed to save so many lives and maybe, just maybe, Captain America would remember him. His eyes fluttered closed and he imagined the avengers finally all coming together to avenge his death. It was a silly thought, in his mind, but all the same it made him content to take his final breath.


End file.
